Certain cites of the United States have embarked upon improvements in their trash collection programs in an effort to reduce labor costs and decrease unsightliness on city streets. Integral to these programs is the use of garbage trucks which have articulated means for picking up and dumping trash containers without the containers being handled by the driver or the driver's helper on the truck. Typical of such trucks are those having a pair of arms which circumscribe at least partially the trash container, lifting it by a shoulder defined on the container and inverting it over the dump bed of the truck. For purposes of economy, and because the physical limitations of human operators is not a factor, trash receptacles for such automated collection are relatively large e.g. 90 to 150 gallon trash containers are in use and larger sizes, e.g. to 300 gallon, are being contemplated.
The adaptation of city collection systems to these new trucks and trash receptacles has brought new problems. Because of the great size of these trash containers, the householder or industrial user has difficulty in positioning the containers at the curb or in driveways for collection. Many presently available trash receptacles for automated collection, if not provided with a wheel and axle arrangement, are only difficultly dragged across areas from the point of refuse deposit to the point of refuse collection, often scoring lawns and scratching sidewalks as the householder struggles with these very large receptacles.
Additionally, the improvement in economics promised by automated trash collection systems has not been realized because the assembling of the receptacles from parts furnished by vendors is usually done by city workers, and the cost has proved to adversely affect anticipated economics. This is due primarily to the multiplicity of parts which must be put together, tested for operability, under supervision, before being placed with the householder or industrial user. Further, the numerous assembly parts typical of wheel and axle mounted receptacles are costly and subject to malfunction.
Another limitation in prior art receptacles is the difficulty of retaining and opening covers. The covers are easily dislodged and lost, or are so heavy that the normal user cannot lift the top to put trash into the receptacle.
The present invention enable use of lightweight covers eaily handled by the consumer, but which is nonetheless permanently hinged to the receptacle body against theft and loss.